When it comes to energy savings, tips for your home can be some of the best money saving ideas you can find. We all know to turn off the lights when we leave one room for another. Now we also understand the value of the newer light bulbs that save money two ways.
Energy, Cost and Light Quality
Traditional incandescent light bulbs have a short lifespan. There is no reason for this as it’s possible to create a light bulb that has a much longer lifespan.
However, manufacturers of this product counted on repeat sales and focused on product pricing. It was widely believed years ago that consumers would prefer low cost light bulbs even if the cost meant replacing the bulbs frequently.
This may have been true but also contributions to the problem of landfills packed with non-degradable discarded item such as glass light bulbs and the metal parts associated with them.
The spiral designed small florescent light bulbs sold today carry a price double or triple the cost of traditional incandescent bulbs but last significantly longer and require less energy to use.
The drawback is a somewhat different light than we are accustomed to as the energy savings tips that advise you to use the new light bulbs result in less bright illumination.
One way some homeowners have chosen is to adapt to a mixture of light bulbs. In a ceiling fixture that requires three bulbs, using two of the energy saving products and one incandescent bulb will reduce power consumption while increasing the brightness.
Unless the restrictions are changed, before long you will only be able to buy the newer energy saving light bulbs and stores report consumers are stocking up on old incandescent products as a result.
Heating and Cooling
When it comes to energy savings, tips for your home about heating and cooling are perhaps the biggest money savers. We are accustomed to living in homes that are temperature controlled.
It may be below freezing outside, but in the house we can relax in shorts and t-shirts and be totally comfortable. But is that smart?
Anyone who has lived in cold climates knows the value of layered clothing when it comes to staying warm. If you apply that same technique inside your home during winter months you can lower your thermostat and still be totally comfortable.
Adding a sweater over your shirt and putting on socks to prevent cold floors from numbing your feet makes sense from a practical point of view.
In the summer, wear loose clothing made of natural fabrics such as cotton. Avoid manmade materials that do not allow the clothing to breathe. One of the best energy savings tips in hot weather is to keep fans running throughout the day.
Powerful air-moving fans do not create a lot of wind but keep the air in a room or an entire house circulating. Fans are inexpensive to operate and can greatly boost the efficiency of your A/C system by making you feel cooler.
If running the central air in your home is causing financial stress consider adding window air conditioners to the bedrooms or to your home office.
Window units are assumed to be only for homes lacking central air but these are amazingly cheap air conditioners to operate. They pull far less energy than central units and are useful to keep your sleeping quarters cool without cooling the entire house to 74 degrees throughout the night.
New portable air conditioners need no installation and are increasingly popular. A portable a/c can boost the cooling in your home’s living area when the entire family is watching movies or TV and reduce the energy used by your central system.
Small Things Save Money
Make sure to seal your home from the elements. Champaign roofing says that if you can feel a draft coming from a window or under a door, you are wasting energy and money.
Weather-stripping and caulk are inexpensive products that can save money immediately. A common point of air leakage is the area around the wall switches and plugs on outside walls. A small piece of insulation tucked into that wall cavity can stop a draft right away.
How many entertainment appliances do you own? Many televisions, stereos and home theaters have instant-on features. This is meant to reduce the time needed for the system to be usable after it’s turned on and is a nice touch for buyers.
However, the instant-on features and all of those little colored LED lights shining brightly even when products are turned off – are energy wasters.
Install a power strip or surge protector and plug in all of your home entertainment systems. That will allow you to turn off the power strip and stop the power flowing to all of the unused entertainment appliances without unplugging them all. Switch the power strip back on and all of your equipment is ready to use.
